Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism Assignment - 7

Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism - Assignment Example On the other hand, over-research is disadvantageous since it to wastage of time that can be used to fulfill other crucial duties. In the case of under-research, the advantage is that little time is used to collect research information, yet the results may be adequate to address the research question. However, under-research may give inadequate information, which may not necessarily be enough to complete the research question (Fryxell, 2004). Â  Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that cannot be taken lightly; it is unacceptable to engage in plagiarism since the act goes against academic standards that have been set by many education boards and institutions of learning. In my opinion, plagiarism matters because it is not right to use another person’s ideas without acknowledging the source of information. In my opinion, I think that plagiarism in most cases can be regarded as deliberate. This is because most people who plagiarize are aware of the consequences of their actions (Neville, 2010). In addition, most of the people who engage in plagiarism know that it is wrong to plagiarize, and they are aware of how they can avoid this action. A plagiarist should be treated as an offender who has done something wrong in the face of the law. The appropriate penalty for plagiarism should be cancellation of an academic degree that was given to a plagiarist who published plagiarized.

Philosophical methods and their role in integrating learning and faith Essay

Philosophical methods and their role in integrating learning and faith - Essay Example In Greek semantics, the traditional goal most associated with philosophy as a discipline is not stated directly, which is not to say that truth is absent in the definition of philosophy, but rather that truth is present in the defining aspect of wisdom. Wisdom relates to truth as knowledge relates to understanding, and the dynamics of this relationship is illustrated in the Greek term ‘Sophia’. In defining philosophy as the â€Å"love of wisdom,† the nature of wisdom itself must be analyzed through a comparison to other types of knowledge. On a fundamental level, traditional philosophy in both the Eastern and Western traditions is gnostic, for these schools assert that truth can be directly experienced and known by human consciousness and that truth is divinely inspired or created by aspects of a divine being. Yet, philosophers themselves may differ in the degree or the manner in which they accord truth to be divine, sacred, holy, or beautiful. Similarly, an agnostic philosophy may be possible, where followers of the teaching believe that truth itself cannot be known absolutely, constructed accurately, or experienced in a valid form by human consciousness, and that truth is not divinely inspired or created by theistic forces. An agnostic belief system or philosophy would appear to be inherently tragic in believing that truth cannot be definitively known to mind, whereas a gnostic or religious system of philosophy can be expected to be liberating through either immanence or transcendence related to mental apprehension o f truth. Therefore, in the gnostic aspects of philosophy, the reconciliation of faith and learning becomes possible, where truth is equated with divinity and wisdom with spirituality in the wider context of life and experience related to the existential aspects of being. In comparison, this possibility of reconciling faith and learning is fundamentally cut-off or eliminated from the philosophy of the agnostic type, as God or divinity is inherently rejected as valid reference. The relationship between philosophy and religion is seen traditionally across all cultures, languages, and schools of thought. In the Christian tradition, Max Dashu (2000) writes, â€Å"The syncretism of Judaic, Egyptian, Hellenistic and Persian traditions gave rise to Gnosticism, a name which arose directly from an emphasis on inner knowing.† (Dashu, 2000) In defining philosophy through the gnostic methodology of â€Å"inner knowing,† a deeper inquiry into the historical dimensions of ‘Soph ia’ or wisdom is also required. Wisdom in the age of the Greeks may have been worshipped with the attributes of the Divine Goddess in indigenous religious traditions, though simultaneously operating as an integral aspect of consciousness. Most schools of philosophy are united by the belief that truth can be apprehended by consciousness, but religious philosophy synchronizes divinity with truth experientially through gnostic realization. Gnosticism as a school of Christianity combining elements of Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Buddhism, and Orphism in a syncretic manner is distinct from the ‘direct knowing of truth’

War on Terror Essay Example for Free

War on Terror Essay I, myself, before September 11, 2001 did not know what terrorism was. It is completely a new term for me, and I could never figure how terrible it is. But then, experiencing and witnessing the feeling of losing the one you loved who was a victim of that disaster, I recognized that the world is no longer as safe as before. Today, not only America but also Britain, Spain, Indonesia†¦became the target of terrorists. The terror tissue is the most challenged thing for all the governments to solve. Even though after September 11, 2001, US has attacked and destroyed a lot terrorists’ bases in over the world, the terrorists still survive and keep aiming to US and its allies. There is an old proverb of ancient Asian military: â€Å"understanding yourself and your enemies is the key to win every battle.† Thus, in order to annihilate terrorism, we need to comprehend what it is. From the book â€Å"War on Terror† of Patrick Coaty, we will be able understand deeply how and why terror has an influence in our society by basing on 3 perspectives: terror and international environment, terror and state, and terror with individual. Terror was first used From the French revolution to the end of World War II as a tool to clean the monarchy in a society by the Jacobins, terrorist groups of French revolution. Then terror was developed when the Soviets threatened and exploited people. Opponents were starved to death. The state controlled what a person ate, wore and even drank. It was evaluated as reliable for Soviet society. The Soviets used terror to break the traditional societal structure that evolved during the Czars ‘reign†. Under the time Soviets ruled the country, the gap between the poor and the rich became larger. The rich became richer and they hide the poor to work for them. Later on, that created the food shortage in the urban of the society because the rich only produced what they needed for life instead of what society needed. The duty of the Soviet Union is to maintain the balance of entire society by control the products of rich peasants. However, they did not success, and that was also the reason why the Soviet Union is collapsed later. Eventually, terrorism evolved under Hitler’s reign to basically killing people to take control and gaining power by combining it with the police power of the state. Hitler learned from the experience of Stalin of Russia he killed all of the people that helped him to become a leader. The Military Organization combined with the Gestapo which was one of the four organizations of the German Workers Party, and was responsible for the killings of millions people. As a result of World War II, the United Nations, which were the permanent members of the U.N Security Council include Great Britain, France, Russian and the Soviet Union, China and the United States, was established to prevent future wars and genocides. The United Nation has an obligation to provide international peace and security. Unfortunately, each member has different perspectives and ways to maintain their influences over the world, and that led to the forming of a favorable environment for terrorist groups and their state sponsors. The nation liberation is another type of terror. During the cold war, many countries were established by using the violence to gain the power. We saw the connection between Soviet Union and groups that used terror as an expression of national revolutionaries to destabilize the government like revolutionaries in Vietnam, Cuba, and Korea. These attacks have these similarities: support from the state, the element of surprise and the access to international media. To gain more power and more influences to other half of the world, Soviet Union and its allies such as Syria, Libya secretly supported the terror group and used them as a political tool to break down the Western countries. The terror groups such as PFLP and the PLO usually targeted to citizen of Israel, and US allies. Although the ending of tension and completion between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the termination of the Soviet Union, and many of the terrorist of groups based in the United States and Western Europe began wither after Communism fell, terrorism did not disappear. In order to maintain and survive, terrorism needs to have a sponsor. The state sponsors of terrorism are between Iran, Syria and their sponsorship group Hezbollah. Iranians have expanded their impact through the Middle East and mainly in Lebanon by helping with the founding of Hezbollah. The Iranian administration has taken part in direct kidnapping and slaying of hundreds of Americans starting with the U.S. Marine barrack attack in Lebanon in 1983. In the meantime, while not directly responsible for the killing of Americans, the Syrian made the terrorist attacks possible by letting the Iranian provide Hezbolla h with military needs that the United State Department has approximately calculated is about 80 million dollars a year. After the attack of 9/11, the US government has discovered that Al-Qaeda was behind. September 11th, an important event for al-Qaeda, marked the change of al-Qaeda from an organization to a movement. The U.S. pushes the September 11th attacks, issue of the counter-terrorism to the top. Unlike the other groups of terrorist like Hezbollah which require a sponsor to make their move, Al-Qaeda has their own financial system. Al-Qaeda makes profits from our needs for drugs and oil. Another way to earn money quickly of Al-Qaeda is trading heroin for money and weapons; it is hard for US government keeps an eyes on what Al Qaeda did to prevent them on time in the future. Moreover, Al Qaeda also used charities as a cover to raise the fund for the attack their enemy, Americans. Bin Laden, a leader of Al Qaeda, made a speech that all Americans will be the target of attack because they pay tax for the government. Before 9/11, Al Qaeda has successful bombed World Trade Center of US, but US government failed to destroy all terrorists at that time. There are three different levels of plans to fight the counter-terrorism. The three are: criminal justice, preemptive strategy to counter-terrorism and targeted killing. Like criminal justice, the domestic police power of the state treats terrorist the same way one would treat kidnappers, bank robbers or murderers. Although international public opinion is generally in agreement that those that preach and actively use terrorist tactics to spread their ideas must be stopped, there is a problem when the U.S. uses means that go against the idea of humane and fair treatment of those being pursued. This is shown by the negative reaction of many Americans to the length of time suspected terrorists have been imprisoned on Guantanamo Bay and the mistreatment of suspected terrorist in the prisons of Iraq. However, to wait for the terrorists to come to U.S. soil is to play with fire. It does not know when and where their next attack will be. How to prevent terrorism is one of the most concerning problem of the government. Supporting the terrorists’ group is one way helps them gain more power and influence. Therefore, the government had better find a way to cut off all the connection between them and their sponsor than trying to rummage everywhere and destroy terrorists one by one. The government has to tighten the security. The lack of security along our borders has also made it possible for terrorist to live among us and to train and organize without our consent. It is the best to let the police and army always be prepared and practice every single day. Protecting and checking status and biography of every citizen cannot be neglected. As a citizen, we should and have to report some suspicious actions of stranger to police. There are a lot of plans being given, but it is said above that we will not know when and where their next attack will be. All we can do is being prepared and knowing how to protect not only ourselves but also people we cherish. Our government needs our help and cooperation. . Although we don’t know that the attack like 9/11 would happen in the future or not, it would be a good start in letting the average individual improves their understanding the elements in the War on Terror.

Pollution in India

Pollution in India Most Indian cities are experiencing rapid urbanization and a majority of the Indias population is expected to live in cities within a span of next two decades. The rapid development in urban India has also resulted in a tremendous increase in the number of motor vehicles and in some cities this has doubled in the last decade. Which is the main source of air pollution and poor ambient air quality impacting millions of citizens. This report presents a review of the main causes of this phenomenon and the various measures adopted for their reduction. Also, cleaner fuels have been introduced along with improved emission control devices. Future strategies like use of alternative fuels and spreading awareness amongst citizens will further help reduce emissions that led to air pollution. Introduction India has the worst air pollution in the entire world, and this problem has attracted special attention in India due to the increase in population, industrialisation and urbanisation. Air pollution has been just below , tobacco smoking, indoor air pollution, blood pressure, diabetes among the top ten killers. This phenomenal has affected many aspects in India and the most crucial aspect is the health side of it population. However, Indians government has made huge steps to reduce the consequences and spread knowledge between citizens. Air Pollution Natural component of fresh air are consist of 78.1 percent Nitrogen, 21 percent Oxygen, 0.95 percent Argon and 0.04 percent Carbon di-oxide. When these typical percentage of air component irregular due to the influence of several ruinous gases then our surrounding environment become polluted. There are some example of harmful elements of air like hydrocarbon gases, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen and some greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and many more.http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00905/toxic_air3_905565g.jpg What Causes Air Pollution? Air pollution caused directly through use of electricity, fuels, and transportation. http://www.drishtikone.com/wp-content/uploads/Pollutants.png Increase in industrial activity India has made fast strides in industrialisation, and it is one of the ten most industrialised nations worldwide. However this status, has brought with it unwanted and unexpected consequences such as unplanned urbanisation and pollution. Domestic pollution Pollution from different types of cooking using coal, fuel wood, and other  biomass fuels contributes to some extent, to the overall pollution load in urban areas. Electricity Major reason to increase pollution in the air is the industrial emissions because burning fossil fuel to produce electricity emissions about 40% of carbon dioxide and many harmful gases. Power plants India and specifically Delhi produces much of its electricity depending on different coal-fired plants for industries and supplying for Delhis major projects. http://respromask.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/three-wheelers-india1.jpg?w=288h=198 Transportation Vehicles contribute up to 35% of air pollution in the large cities of India like Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai .Also, Engine exhaust (diesel and gas) carries more than 40 dangerous air pollutants. Vehicular Pollution Between 1951 and 2011, the urban population has multiplied, from 62.4 million to 377.1 million, and its percentage has increased from 17.3% to 31.16%. In 1991, there were 18 cities with a population of over 1 million, in 2012 this is estimated to expand  to 46 cities . This rapid increase in unplanned urban population has resulted in an increase in consumption patterns and a higher demand for transport and energy. Between 2005-2006,there were about 8.9 million vehicles sold and it reach 15 million in 2010-2011 which show that the number of vehicles sold in India is increasing fast during the past few years. And as studies shows that when the number of vehicles increased that lead to increase of harmful emissions which will finally be so affected in air quality(air pollution).In addition, vehicles are estimated to be the responsible of producing about 70% of CO2, 50% of HC,30-40% of NOx,30% of SPM and 10% of SO2 of the overall air pollution in cities. The most air pollution rise in Indian cities Despite the fact that the 51 Indian cities suffer from an extreme high level of air pollution, Bangalore , Mumbai ,Nagpur ,Hyderabad and Pune are certainly topping the list. Also, all 51 Indian cities dont meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). As researches shows that Bangalore have the most rise in air pollution , then Pune coming after and Hyderabad, Nagpur and Mumbai respectively are the next three position.C:UsershpDesktopME!Principles Environmenttal ScCase Study30_11_pg10a.jpg Kanpur and Delhi are the most polluted cities in India. (According to the national summary report on air quality monitoring and emission inventory for Indian cities of the Ministry of Environment and Forest) Effects Outdoor air pollution has emerged as a major health risk in developing countries, contributing to some 3.2 million premature deaths worldwide and 74 million years of healthy life lost in 2010 and India is particularly at risk. Delhi population directly hit by air pollution Decaying air quality in India can transform into 3,000 additional premature deaths annually because of diseases related to air pollution . Delhi government, estimated that about 55 per cent of Delhis population is directly affected by air pollution as they live in a radius of 500 meters of urban roads where pollution level was found to be maximum. Health Impacts of Air Pollution Increase in mortality due to urban air pollution. Induction or revival of diseases. Respiratory illness / disorders. Systemic Immune alterations. Cardiovascular problems. Brain damage. Retardation of fetal growth. Increases prevalence of upper respiratory symptoms. Fact Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalores population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution- related ailments. Chennai: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. Pune: air pollution in Pune has become a serious problem. The respiratory suspended particulate matter in the air is more than the standard national level. About 93,000 commercial properties which include hotels, malls and hospitals emit 204 tone every year. Children the target {Both in rural urban areas, children are the most vulnerable group due to} Lower breathing zone. Greater oxygen consumption. More susceptible target organs. Immunity not fully operational. Environmental impacts Environmental impacts are not limited to local air quality, but global climate change as well. Greenhouse gas emissions from vehicular traffic damage the ozone layers on a global level and also have local impacts. Increased greenhouse gas emissions damage nearby soil, vegetation, forest areas, aquatic systems, and groundwater . With two-thirds of Indias population depending directly on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry , it is essential that these problems are totally researched and addressed in the near future. Air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels like coal and diesel has contributed to a worrisome slowdown in rice harvest growth in India in the past two decades. How to reduce air pollution Major efforts needed to reduce air pollution A lot of effort is needed in reducing emission of pollutants and greenhouses gases to improve the quality of air. Predict Air quality is required to provide information to the public to help them manage their health and welfare better. Modern day fuel alternatives for nations keen on becoming energy independent Modern life is closely associated with the need to reduce risk and enhance dependability. Concern for a fleetly-depleting environment has also caused a interest in the emergence of substitute fuels. The aim is to notch fewer vehicle emissions that contribute to smog, air pollution. Green Court launched India launched a green court on October 19, 2010 to make polluters pay damages as it steps up its policing of the countrys environmental laws. India was only the third country in the world after Australia and New Zealand to set up such a court. This is the first step of its kind in India to apply the polluter pays principle and the principle of sustainable development. India switches over to cleaner petrol and diesel The country has fully switched over to cleaner Euro-III and Euro-IV petrol and diesel. Indias tough new rules to fight air pollution The government has almost reduce the acceptable limits for polluting gases to the half, gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. The key bits are that residential and industrial areas will have the same limits. After a long gap of 15 years we have notified the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. It brings the air quality standards to European levels and in many cases it even exceeds the standards in the USA. Consequences of these standards will be on clean fuel and this will have major implications on Green House gas emission as well, said Jairam Ramesh, Environment Minister. Kolkata begins clean-air campaign Kolkata began its campaign to clean up its air with 1500 policemen taking to the streets to seize polluting buses, taxis and autos. Conclusion Urban air pollution has long been a serious problem in the India , reflecting both the importance of highly polluting industries for the national economy and political factors such as the low priority of environmental issues and lack of public participation. Also, it affecting every things including environment such as public health in India is in serious risk and environmental impact on the climate which is a important factor for agriculture that Indians depend on for living. However , Indian government has some solutions ,for example switching to a cleaner fuel, set rules to reduce the emissions , and do campaign to spread knowledge about the effects of pollution and about how they can personally help out will be important to create a culture that values the environment. Resources 1) www.gits4u.com 2) www.indyatour.com 3) www.ipcbee.com 4) www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com 5) www.ndtv.com 6) ww.twocircles.net 7)www.drew-urban-travels.blogspot.com 8)www.pals.in 9) www.rrcap.ait 10) www.theicct.org

Responsibility for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet in William Shakespear

Taking Responsibility for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, the star crossed lovers, the perfect sadly losing there lives for their great love of each other. The tragic death has many characters to blame, but it is impossible to pinpoint the full responsibility on one individual character. Many of the characters in 'Romeo and Juliet' blame each other, for example, the Prince blames the two families and feud for their deaths. He believes that if certain things were different than this whole mess would not have occurred. If this terrible feud were not occurring than there would have been no objection to Romeo and Juliet getting married. "Where be these enemies? Capulet, Montague, see what a scourge is laid apon your hate," ====================================================================== (Act5 Scene3 lines 291-292) (The Prince) The most obvious character to blame in 'Romeo and Juliet' is most probably Friar Lawrence, for it was him who invents the bizarre scheme that will bring them together. Romeo puts his faith and trust in the Friar and he treats him almost like his own father. The Friars character is a very selfish one. At first he shows care and concern for Romeo by not totally agreeing with Romeos actions and decisions, for Romeo was not long ago in love with Rosaline, "Young men's love, then, lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes." (Act2 Scene3 lines 67-68) (Friar Lawrence) But as time progresses his thoughts change and he agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, His intentions were not for the best of Romeo and Juliet but to gain prais... ...s to dealing with situations she acts much more mature, and she plays things much more safely than him. Although her character is very open she, still make sure the decisions she makes in life are the right ones. When she was about to take the potion she thought of all the different scenarios and chose which one was best for her, this is the complete opposite to Romeo. One of the key issues of the play was FATE. . One of the key issues of the play was FATE. You could say all of the events had a certain path and that one thing lead to another. Overall every single character is somewhat involved in the deaths of the star-crossed lovers, and even though they did not kill them literally, they all contributed in leading them in that direction. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. "Romeo and Juliet" 1597. Clark and Wright

Representation of Breast Cancer :: Cancer Health Photography Essays

Representation of Breast Cancer "Palimpsest" is defined as "awrittendocument, typically on vellum or parchment, that has been writtenupon severaltimes, often with remnants of earlier, imperfectly erased writingstill visible,remnants of this kind being a major source for the recovery of lostliteraryworks of classical antiquity" (American Heritage Dictionary). Thisdefinitionprovides a way to theorize the intersection of photography withbreast cancer asa medical condition, a personal trial, and a discourse. As breast cancerstatistics approach one ineight women, critics are beginning to theorize the ways in whichthe disease isnot only a health condition but a psycho-social and a culturalcondition. Themedical world develops a particular set of descriptions of andreactions topatients' health conditions, while individuals,families and groupsgeneratetheir own responses and vocabulary. In addition, larger patterns ofaction anddiscussion also shape and are shaped by culture, that is,society(s),lifestyles, media and artistic and literary production. "Breastcancer"therefore merits a better understanding of the forces ofrepresentation whichdefine the disease itself and its sufferers. Here I aim to examinethe interplayspecifically of photography with representation of breast cancerand breastcancer bodies. Part of the challenge of this project, and indeedits point isthat breast cancer photography is still not found in majorhistories ofphotography, or even anthologies of womenà ¾s photography . Itstradition lies inx-rays, MRIs and collections of medical photographs designed forthe purposes ofdocumentation or instruction, or, alternately, in scattered exhibitions or collections. This history has only very recently been reclaimed and written differently by women photographers and writers, and feminist academics and activists. I have deliberately chosen two photographs whose subject involves some type of writing literally on the bodyas a way ofconcentrating my discussion of the issues involved when photography attempts to process or project experiences of breast cancer, or shape publicperceptions ofthe disease. In this essay, which is part of a more extensiveinvestigation, I will begin some readings focusing on how two women's work incombined image andtext points to desire and agency. The photographs have both strongsimilaritiesin their re-writing on and of the breast cancer body, and markeddifferences intheir attitudes and intentions. In each case, the photograph itselfis worthlooking at closely as a photograph on its own, yet the text whichaccompanieseach of them--the book it originally appears in with itsdescription of theimage or its production--crucially shapes the meaning of thephotograph. I usethe paradigm of the "palimpsest" in both fairly literal andmetaphorical ways inorder to look at severa l questions: 1.

Aims and objectives Essay

This paper provides a context for this special edition. It highlights the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also makes the point that there is a policy agenda that provides workable solutions. Results An overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world, highlighting considerable variations, with Africa and South East Asia having the lowest average ratios. The paper argues that the ‘shortage’ of nurses is not necessarily a shortage of individuals with nursing qualifications, it is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the present conditions. The causes of shortages are multi-faceted, and there is no single global measure of their extent and nature, there is growing evidence of the impact of relatively low staffing levels on health care delivery and outcomes. The main causes of nursing shortages are highlighted: inadequate workforce planning and allocation mechanisms, resource constrained undersupply of new staff, poor recruitment, retention and ‘return’ policies, and ineffective use of available nursing resources through inappropriate skill mix and utilisation, poor incentive structures and inadequate career support. Conclusions What now faces policy makers in Japan, Europe and other developed countries is a policy agenda with a core of common themes. First, themes related to addressing supply side issues: getting, keeping and keeping in touch with relatively scarce nurses. Second, themes related to dealing with demand side challenges. The paper concludes that the main challenge for policy makers is to develop a co-ordinated package of policies that provide a long term and sustainable solution. Relevance to clinical practice This paper highlights the impact that nursing shortages has on clinical practice and in health service delivery. It outlines scope for addressing shortage problems and therefore for providing a more positive staffing environment in which clinical practice can be delivered. Keywords: nurses, nursing, workforce issues, workforce planning Go to: Introduction The world has entered a critical period for human resources for health. The scarcity of qualified health personnel, including nurses, is being highlighted as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving health system effectiveness. In January 2004, the High Level Forum on the Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reported, ‘There is a human resources crisis in health, which must be urgently addressed’ (High Level Forum on the Health MDGs, 2004, p. 4). Later in the same year, the Joint Learning Initiative reported that ‘There is a massive global shortage of health workers’ (Joint Learning Initiative 2004; executive summary, p. 3). In 2006, the World Health Organisation devoted the whole of the World Health Report to the negative impact that human resources shortages was having on global health care (WHO 2006). Against this backdrop of growing concern about shortages of health personnel, this paper focuses on one of the most critical components of the workforce: nurses. As such, it provides a context for the other papers in this special edition of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. These other papers focus in detail on specific nurse workforce issues and priorities facing policy makers and researchers in Australia, Canada, Japan, the USA and elsewhere. They emphasise the need to develop a better understanding of the specific dynamics in organisational and country level nursing labour markets if policy makers are to be well informed about the judgements they must make about what will be effective policy solutions for the nursing workforce. This paper provides a broader perspective, highlighting the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also making the point that there are many common challenges and a policy agenda that points to workable solutions. Go to: Nursing and the global health workforce challenge WHO has estimated there to be a total of 59 ·2 million fulltime paid health workers worldwide in 2006, of which about two thirds were health service providers, with the remaining third being composed of health management and support workers (WHO 2006). WHO also calculated a threshold in workforce density below which consistent coverage of essential interventions, including those necessary to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was very unlikely. Based on these estimates, it reported that there were 57 countries with critical shortages equivalent to a global deficit of 2 ·4 million doctors, nurses and midwives. The proportional shortfalls were greatest in sub-Saharan Africa, although numerical deficits were very large in South-East Asia because of its population size (WHO 2006, p. 12). WHO also highlighted that shortages often coexist in a country with large numbers of unemployed health professionals: ‘Poverty, imperfect private labour markets, lack of public funds, bureaucratic red tape and political interference produce this paradox of shortages in the midst of underutilized talent’ (WHO 2006, p. xviii). WHO concluded that the shortage crisis has the potential to deepen in the coming years. It noted that demand for service providers will escalate markedly in all countries – rich and poor: ‘Richer countries face a future of low fertility and large populations of elderly people, which will cause a shift towards chronic and degenerative diseases with high care demands. Technological advances and income growth will require a more specialised workforce even as needs for basic care increase because of families’ declining capacity or willingness to care for their elderly members. Without massively increasing training of workers in this and other wealthy countries, these growing gaps will exert even greater pressure on the outflow of health workers from poorer regions’ (WHO 2006, p. xix). Nurses are the main professional component of the ‘front line’ staff in most health systems, and their contribution is recognised as essential to meeting development goals and delivering safe and effective care. One difficulty in making an accurate global estimate of numbers of nurses is the definition of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœnurse’. Different international agencies, at different times, have developed different definitions, some related to educational level, some to years of training. The primary focus of this paper is on registered nurses, but this focus is hampered by the absence of a clear definition for some data sources, and the overall lack of a single universal definition of ‘nurse’. To give one indication of the size of the nursing workforce world wide, the International Council of Nurses reports 129 national nurses’ associations representing 13 million nurses worldwide (ICN 2007). This section of the paper provides an overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world. The data must be used with caution. The country level data collated by WHO which is reported in this paper may in some countries include midwives under the broad category of nurses; for some, it is also likely that the data may include auxiliary and unlicensed personnel. There can also be varying interpretations relating to the calculation of the number of nurses – some countries may report working nurses, others may report all nurses that are eligible to practice; some may report ‘headcount’, others may report full time equivalents. The analysis presented below should therefore be taken as illustrative of a broad pattern of regional variations, rather than an accurate representation of each country. Current initiatives by international organisations such as WHO, ILO and OECD to agree to standard definitions and improve the collection of count ry level HRH data should improve the current unsatisfactory situation.